Case Number 27151

WONDERWALL (1968) (BLU-RAY)

The Charge

No more Hoovering!

Opening Statement

By the end of 1968, the Beatles were on the verge of breaking up, but George
Harrison was already getting started on new projects, which included writing the
score for Joe Massot's (Led Zeppelin: The Song Remains the Same) first
feature film, Wonderwall, the most hippy-dippy pile of garbage I've ever
seen. I'm sure fans of the Beatles and 70-year-old Woodstock attendees will love
this awful blast from the past, reminding them of all the stupid psychedelia
left behind decades ago for good reason.

Facts of the Case

An elderly scientist and butterfly enthusiast, Oscar Collins (Jack MacGowran,
The Fearless Vampire Killers), is repressed and alone in his apartment
when he sees a beautiful woman dancing through a small hole in his wall. His
voyeuristic tendencies make him want to see more, so through increasingly larger
holes, he opens himself up to a whole new world: The Swingin' Sixties. But he's
afraid and his life still lacks excitement, so he just watches. Soon that life
starts to bleed into his and he becomes the dream of every British man born in
the 1920s...he becomes a hippy.

The Evidence

Good lord, what a travesty Wonderwall is. I hate describing movies
this way, but it's hard for me to think of this as anything more than a cross
between the Carry On films and the original version of The Wicker
Man; a combination of concepts no one should want to watch!

But they do, because the one thing that's advertised about Wonderwall
and it's not cinematic quality, is the fact that Harrison composed the
soundtrack. Be warned, however, this is a clear appeal to Beatles fans with no
actual payof, because one still has to watch the movie, and the
soundtrack isn't very good. Clearly still in his Indian phase, Harrison is
terrible writing for the sitar and not all that great in the first place, so
this is certainly no selling point for me.

The only plus here is watching Jane Birkin, one of the most amazingly
gorgeous actresses ever to grace the screen. She's not portraying character
here, though. Instead, she's just being a fashion model who loves sex and drugs,
and has no life outside of that scene. If there was ever a cinematic objectified
woman, Birkin's Penny Lane is it.

Beyond that singular benefit, the rest Wonderwall is a bunch of
dancing and drug use, and crappy animation by a second rate studio. This
episodic piece of garbage is a collection disconnected scenes with no
discernible narrative and even less heart. If you want to watch hippies run
around taking bong hits and gyrating, here you go. I'm just not up for that ride
and never will be.

Though my hate for the film is palpable, there's no question Shout! Factory
has done its all for this Wonderwall (Blu-ray) release. First, they
include both versions of the film -- the 90 minute theatrical release and the 70
minute director's cut (at least Massot had some perspective). The latter isn't
better because it's shorter, the experience is a whole lot tighter. The
1.66:1/1080p HD visuals are stellar for both, with psychedelic colors that pop,
accurate flesh tones, bright whites, deep blacks, and exceptional level of
detail throughout the frame. The DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track sounds great, as
it should given how important the sound is to this experience. The all-important
George Harrison music, if you like it, is full and large in this mix. The
dialogue isn't worth listening to, but it's strong as well.

Extras are nothing to sneeze at either. Reflections on Love is a
short film by Massot that paved the way for this feature (thanks for that). It
may not be better than Wonderwall, but at least it's shorter. An outtake
gives us another George Harrison song. Some music focused featurettes, none of
which are about the production, are really just sorry excuses for music videos.
Promotional content includes a gallery of images, a publicity booklet, PR text
files, actor bios, theatrical trailer, and a pretty solid booklet, all of which
serve fans quite well.

Closing Statement

I hate Wonderwall. It's the most obnoxious piece of '60s garbage I
have ever seen. Worthless in every way. However, there is plenty of appeal for
George Harrison fans and old hippies, so drop that sugar cube and go to
town.